Avengers Caught in a Rampage 84-59
by Tim Peterson
March 31, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers
(Grand Rapids, MI) - Grand Rapids racked up 56 points in the first half and rolled to an 84-59 rout of Los Angeles Sunday and set an Arena Football League record in the process.
After last week's 92 points scored against Kansas City, 176 points in two games combined set an Arena Football League mark.
Chris Martin returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and totaled 249 total kick off return yards. Quarterback James MacPherson completed 18 of 22 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns.
The Rampage was in control from the outset. Martin brought back the opening kick off 55 yards for a touchdown and after Grand Rapids recovered a fumble by Timon Marshall, MacPherson connected with Chris Johnson for a 25 yard scoring strike for a 14-0 lead.
On the Avengers next series, Rahim Abdullah jumped on a fumble by Sonny Cumbie who was hit, causing the ball to squirt loose. Abdullah rumbled down to the one yard line where Whitney Bell punched it in and just like that it was 21-zip.
The Avengers bounced back with touchdown receptions by J.R. Tolver and Clay Harrell but the Rampage kept up the pressure as Martin returned another kick of for a score for a 28-14 advantage.
Kevin Ingram caught a Cumbie TD toss in the second quarter but two MacPherson to Kenny Higgins touchdown passes led to a 56-30 Rampage lead at the half.
Grand Rapids never took the foot off the gas in the second half en route to the record setting performance.
Higgins finished with six catches for 63 yards and three scores. Ingram caught 13 passes for 158 yards and four touchdowns for LA.
The Avengers fell to 2-3 with the loss will travel to Colorado to face the Crush next week. The red hot Rampage evened its record at 2-2 and will battle New York next week in the Big Apple.
LA 14 16 8 21 59
GR 28 28 14 14 84
LEADERS
PASSING: MacPHERSON (GRA) 17-30-215-5; CUMBIE (LAA) 19-36-211-5
RECEIVING: INGRAM (LAA) 13-148-4; HIGGINS (GRA) 6-63-3
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Offensive: James MacPherson (GRA)
Defensive: Ahmad Hawkins (GRA)
Ironman: Chris Martin (GRA)
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